ALBANY — Gov. David A. Paterson and New York legislative leaders have reached an agreement to dismantle much of what remains of the state’s strict 1970s-era drug laws, once among the toughest in the nation.

NEW YORK STATE — In his State of the State address last week, Gov. David Paterson reiterated his longtime support for reforming the state’s Rockefeller drug laws, saying, “I cannot think of a criminal justice strategy that has been more unsuccessful than the Rockefeller drug laws.”